In the Sound of Remembrance
by MangoSupaStar
Summary: Emmalyn begins her journey into adulthood in the city of Stilwater. Running into unlikely characters, whom of which bring her back to blacked out memories.
1. Ch 1

"And here we are! Welcome to Stilwater University's Sorority Row!" piped a zealous Stilwater cheerleader by the name of Jeanine. Her honey blond waist length hair streaked brilliantly in the sunlight. The tiny gaggle of naïve freshman fanned their sweaty, flushed faces while strolling behind Jeanine. Sorority Row was faced directly across the cobble stone street from Frat Row. The column of dormitories resembled more of an upscale neighborhood than college dormitories. The garden and lawns were kept in pristine condition. Their green grass swaying lightly at the feeble late summer breeze, it did little to squelch the heat. Jeanine skipped down the walkway leading to the double doors into the dormitory that was second to the last building.

Emmalyn stood in awe. She spotted a wooden veranda in the back with a murky lake peacefully existing in front of it. A million thoughts buzzed through her mind as she dragged her remaining luggage into the dorm's lobby. The crystal cool white marble was slick and clean. Off to the far left was an office, the RA or dorm mother was cheerfully greeting the novel freshman. To the very right of the lobby sat a sitting room and a kitchen placed directly next door. Emmalyn smiled warmly, feeling extremely anxious of her brand new environment. She waddled over to the elevator, jamming the button with her elbow. She could see her mocha brown hair stuck to her forehead.

The elevator doors creaked open, revealing a lavish green and grey interior. The young woman scooted inside of the contraption and pressed her floor's button. The ride was short and sweet, instantly dropping her off on floor three and with one last bout of strength and energy; Emmalyn heaved her heavy bag and exited the elevator, seeking her room number. "_302…303…304…305"_ she whispered, looking up and down the hallway. "Ah! Room 307!" Emmalyn sighed, dropping her bag, creating a muffled thump on the deep grey carpeted floor. She shoved her hands in her black leather satchel, fiddling around its contents for the keys. Finally discovering them, she snatched them from the bag and struggled to get the keys into the lock quick enough.

Once the lock clicked open and gained her access, she kicked her bag into the room. She shut the door behind her, the cool air blowing from the A/C welcoming her. "Thank God!" she exclaimed while wiping her hair from her forehead. Emmalyn examined her surroundings, finding the place more than suitable than expected. The week previously, her parents came and settled her room. The dorm room was similar to an apartment, containing a spacious kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and one bathroom. Emmalyn shoved her bag into her own bedroom, the second bedroom across the hallway. The door was closed. "Maybe she's not here yet…" she pondered, turning back to her room.

In her room sat a queen sized bed with violet bed sheets and plum comforter off to the far left. Her laptop and textbooks sat on the desk across from the bed neatly and a corkboard sat up on the wall. Her dresser and closet were on the other side, next to the bedroom entrance. She lifted the satchel from her shoulder, placing it on the bed. She was leaning against the desk chair when her cell phone began to blare in her pocket. "_Ah shit!_" she hissed, struggled to release it from the confines of her jeans. Once free, she answered the phone. "Emma, honey, are you there?" the woman asked with concern. It was her mother, Geraldine Green. Emmalyn rolled her eyes, huffing silently. Her mother's domineering outlook would grate the nerves of nearly anyone. "Yes. Mom I'm in my room. Everything is fine and I have all limbs, organs, fingers and toes." She assured before Geraldine was given the chance to berate her with questions.

She could hear her mother suck her teeth. "Don't get snippy with me miss. You know how much this means to your father and I. Is it so wrong that I want to make sure my only daughter is safe and sound?" she pleaded. "Ma, stop that silly nonsense. I'm not – "Geraldine interjected, changing the subject instantly. "Have you met your roommate yet?" "No, she isn't here yet." She responded. A pause wafted between the two, "Well, be careful sweetie. I know firsthand how those frat parties can get out of hand!" she proclaimed greatly. "POW!" the sharp bang emitted from the front room. "Honey! Was that a gunshot!" Geraldine shrieked into the phone's speaker. Emmalyn sat up straight, creeping towards her bedroom door. From around the bend, she could see a female shoving her bags into the room. "No, ma I think my roommate is here. I'll call you later." She stated ending the call before her mother had the ability to reply.

"_Heelllooo! _Is anyone here?" an airy, light voice asked in a sing-song tone. Emmalyn emerged from her room and walked down the hallway and into the living room. Her entry caught the unknown woman's attention. The woman tilted her head to the side, scanning Emmalyn. "And I assume you're Alyssa Rodriguez?" Emmalyn addressed her hands on her hips casually. The woman nodded, flashing a luminous smile. She was stunned with Alyssa's appearance. There was something about her that seemed so familiar. Something in which she couldn't place her finger on at the moment. Her strawberry blonde collarbone length hair was tied into a messy bun; her dazzling green eyes were lined with heavy black eyeliner. Her snake bites clicked against her teeth.

Alyssa was taller than Emmalyn, her frame much leaner as well. Her black and red Feed Dogs shirt clung tightly to her chest, emphasizing her buxom figure. The black low riders exposed her tanned hips. Her converses were on the verge of disrepair. Alyssa was practically the antithesis of Emmalyn.

Emmalyn was drastically shorter than Alyssa. Her mocha brown hair barely scraped the end of her bra strap. Her eyes were a pale brown, often covered by black framed glasses. Emmalyn's curvy figure was always hidden under baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt – she was not the girl for flaunting her flesh, which was a dark caramel. "You must've had a rough night?" Emmalyn questioned, rocking back and forth on her heels. Alyssa laughed, "Rough? No way! How about the best night of the summer!" she shouted. Emmalyn giggled, hoping to an extraterrestrial being that Alyssa would not become more to bare. "So," Alyssa stated still gazing at the girl before her, "_You _must be Emmalyn Green from Cecil Park?"

She bobbed her head in agreement. Alyssa spared her a smug expression. "Oh this will be fun." Emmalyn had no idea what this meant. Not too long after those words, another blond haired specimen entered the room. He was carrying what Emmalyn believed to be the last of Alyssa's bags. The man glimpsed at Emmalyn, her eyes widened immensely. He noticed this and made his way over to her, extending a hand. "Yes, it's Matt Granger." He introduced in third person jokingly. "My sister was a really big fan of the Feed Dogs." She shyly explained. She could feel her face become warm. Matt Granger, the lead guitarist and vocalist of a regionally famous metal band, the Feed Dogs was the heartthrob of many women around Stilwater. He was also a famed tattoo artist as he worked in many of the Rusty's Needle tattoo parlors. His silky, luscious blond hair was often times styled into a short mullet. The variety of facial piercings donned his face.

A menagerie of tattoos ran down his arms. Emmalyn felt a sorrowful pang hit the bottom of her stomach. His very presence thrust what memories she had of Eliza to the surface. Memories she tried with all might, to cut out.


	2. Ch 2

The following weeks arrived and departed. Fall quickly showed itself. Roommates Emmalyn and Alyssa rapidly settled into a routine. Alyssa would party each and every weekend that came. Whereas Emmalyn, would stay behind, studying, reading, and writing. Her standard of living was tedious in stark contrast to her cohort. Matt habitually stayed overnight – for a conjugal visit of course.

A usual late Friday afternoon was occurring in Room 307. Emmalyn was heading down the corridor from her nightly study session, catching Alyssa and Matt looped arm in arm. "Emmy!" Alyssa purred, lightly tugging her arm and slightly pulling her backwards, "You can't tell me you're staying in _again_." Alyssa stressed. Emmalyn sighed heavily throwing a stiff expression. "I told you, I've got to go home this weekend. I haven't seen my mother or father since August." Alyssa pouted, letting the captive arm free. "Before the end of the semester, you're going to come out with us. Besides, my brother wants to meet you!" Alyssa called out joyously. "Okay, another time then. I promise." Emmalyn hastily replied. Matt waved good-bye as the two left the building.

She unlocked her door, throwing herself into the dark living space, shuffling down the hallway into her bedroom. Her overnight bag, which once belonged to her mother, was hanging lazily on the desk chair. She unzipped it, checking the contents in order to make sure she forgot nothing. She pushed her hand to the bottom of the bag, looking for her bottle of lotion. "I always happen to forget at least one thing." She murmured, but suddenly felt a strange object. Taking her hand from the bag, she turned on the desk lamp, moving clothing out of the way. Her heart plummeted from her chest. She pulled a small photo from the very bottom, tears brimming.

"How could I have not noticed this?" she questioned herself, gazing at the photo of her older sister, Eliza. Fury immediately waved over her, she tore the photo in half and tossed its remnants out of the window. She watched on as the paper fluttered to the pavement below. A forceful rumble nearby jerked her from the trance and a few feet away, she could see blinding headlights and Avenged Sevenfold pumping from the Legion's speakers. Off in the distance, Alyssa and Matt were sitting on the hood of his darling Alaskan. Emmalyn laughed at herself, observing her friends flirt playfully.

An additional massive truck grumbled behind the Legion and the Alaskan. Each car was a blazing red, black and gold. Intricate tribal décor sat proudly on the truck's exterior. As night began to fall, Emmalyn had to squint in order to see a burly man stalk his way out of the Compensator. She took of her glasses quickly, rubbing them clean. The unidentified man placed his hands on the Alaskan's hood, startling Matt and Alyssa. The fiery scarlet hair matched his crimson button down shirt. Emmalyn could hear the heels of his burgundy steel-toed snake skin boots clack against the pavement. Her heart began to race once Alyssa noticed her and waved. The man looked in Emmalyn's direction on cue, causing her nerves to become shot.

She waved back anxiously, the familiarity between Alyssa's face and the bizarre man's struck a chord of curiosity. However, she would not have the opportunity to find the answer as her mother began to call her incessantly. "I'm coming! I'm coming Christ!" Emmalyn screamed, shutting and locking the window. She snatched the bag from the chair and bolted out of the building, skipping out of the dormitory. Practically running towards her jet black Phoenix with maroon trim and a blazing white interior, out of the corner of her eye she spotted the scene. A few other people had arrived by this time.

She opened the driver door, stepping in and starting her engine, speeding towards the Barrio District.

* * *

Nightfall had settled in by the time she reached her destination. Her parent's home lay on the very edge of the cul-de-sac. Annoyance washed over her when she spotted her father's car in the garage. The Phoenix skulked to a complete stop and grabbed her bag and hopped up the steps that led to the front door – which was unlocked. "Mom, I'm home!" Emmalyn announced scrutinizing the house. She quietly shut the door behind her and tiptoed down the hallway, racing up stairs before her mother could find her existence. Once landing on the second floor, she sprinted past her parent's bedroom, sneaking into her own next door.

Emmalyn dropped her bag and thrust herself onto the bed, and closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of freshly laundered sheets. "Oh, you're home." A growl emitted from the doorway. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up straight while fixing her hair. "Hi…dad." She weakly greeted, avoiding his eye contact. Gerard was a stocky man. His height was undersized compared to a majority of men his age. He speckled gray hair was swooped into an unspoiled hairstyle. His age was beginning to catch up to him as the wrinkles were setting in. His tie was sloppily hanging around the collar of his Robin's Egg blue work shirt. In a few ways, she resembled her father, adopting his light brown eyes and his smile. Emmalyn missed the father of her childhood.

Once Eliza was gone, a massive emotional disconnect transpired throughout the Green household. "Your mother wants you to begin cleaning out the spare room." He ordered, beginning to abscond downstairs. At the moment he departed, a sharp sigh came from her throat. She stood off of the bed and walked to her doorway. Peering down the hallway, she could see the empty bedroom light shine from underneath the door. Emmalyn hadn't been in that room in nearly two years.

Emmalyn slowly ambled in the door's direction, her hand shaking as she turned the knob and pushing the door open. A flood of emotion pounded her as she gazed around the room. It was literally frozen in time. It hadn't been touched since her departure. A Feed Dogs poster clung to dear life above the bed. The sheets were hanging from the bed, scraping the floor. Clothing was strewn across open dresser drawers, books, shoes and other miscellaneous items were scattered across the floor. She crept further into the dwelling, yanking an old photo from the corkboard lying on the desk. In the photo, stood Eliza and Emmalyn as young teens, in happier times before chaos blew through their lives and ripped them apart.

Warm tears brimmed from her eyes as decrepit recollections burst through. It only proved that no matter how much vigor she put into forgetting Eliza, she could not. She would always remember tagging along wherever Eliza went, borrowing CD's and clothing, telling their secrets. They were inseparable until the day Eliza met Shogo Akuji, the only son of Kazuo Akuji. Emmalyn could remember the giddy expression Eliza had. Eliza was a high school senior, Emmalyn was sophomore. Over time, Eliza steadily began to pull away from her younger sister.

It wasn't before long that Eliza's demeanor flipped as she changed from studious and obedient daughter, to a rebellious seventeen year old. Eliza would sneak from the house, jetting off to exclusive nightclubs with Shogo and playing hooky were the worst of it. Geraldine and Gerard attempted each and every scare tactic in the book and to no avail they seldom worked. Eliza's behavior itself began to illuminate the cracks in their marriage. Emmalyn could remember nights in which she would hear her parents screeching at one another. The arguments would normally end in her father leaving the house and not coming back 'till late the next evening.

Eliza's new and bold reputation to a gang boss certainly caused stigma in the tight community, however it was Emmalyn who had to suffer the consequence. She wiped away a tear that broke free and rolled down her cheek. The fatal night rang through her mind.

"_What in the hell do you want Geraldine!"_ Eliza yelled at the top of lungs, hastily throwing clothes into bags. "_Eliza Jane Green! Stop this instant!"_ she retorted, grabbing her daughter's arm. Eliza yanked it back violently; Emmalyn was sitting at her door, sobbing heavily. "_Or what? There is not a damn thing neither you nor dad can do!"_ Eliza threatened, zipping up her bags. With this latest remark, Emmalyn could hear her mother's tiny hand smack Eliza's cheek. Geraldine never laid a finger on her children. "_You disrespectful, ungrateful twat!"_ her mother roared and with this Eliza shoved her mother backwards. Emmalyn could hear her mother stumble. She began to cry even harder.

"_You see this Geraldine!"_ Eliza snapped, shoving a white stick in her mother's face. A deafening silence passed before either female said a word. "_What the hell is happening in my home!"_ Gerard blurted when he charged down the hallway. "_Gerard that darn boy got Eliza pregnant._" Geraldine whispered, Emmalyn could see her mother's face buried in her hands as Eliza stood triumphantly in this frenzied event. The entire family grew soundless, she couldn't believe her ears. "_Have you lost your mind!"_ Gerard growled. "_Out! Out! Now!"_ he commanded, taking his daughter by the shoulder and shoving her down the steps. By this time, her parents and sister were on the first floor. "_Don't come back until you're done with that Ronin gang mess!"_

This was the final time she saw her sister. She never knew what became of her niece or nephew. From that moment forward, her life changed. Her parents cracked down harshly in order to salvage the remains of their repute. She indirectly became a pariah in school, despite obtaining stupendous academic and leadership achievements. Emmalyn was locked in an invisible cage. Her sister's shadow hovering over her.


	3. Ch 3

"_Emmmy!"_ Alyssa screeched sharply, pounding against her door. Emmalyn shielded her eyes from the light peeking in between her blinds. She groaned, struggling to lift herself vertically. "I'm up, I'm up! What do you want?" she moaned sleepily while rolling out of bed. The cool, bare slick concrete floor jolted her awake. Emmalyn swung the door open; her roommate was plainly beaming on the other side. "Come on, woman! We've got a four day weekend and you aren't sleeping in or staying in. Besides you promised you'd come with me." Alyssa reminded her, intruding her way into Emmalyn's room. "What? I thought that was _next_ weekend." Emmalyn whined, rubbing the crust from her eyes and sitting on the chair near the desk.

Alyssa rolled her eyes and glared at her friend. "Listen up, tonight we're going to the opening performance for the Feed Dogs _and _my brother has a demolition derby on Saturday." She announced, sorting through piles of clothes and tossing them on the disheveled bed. "You never ran this by me. I've never been to a Feed Dogs show or demolition derby in my life." She protested candidly. Alyssa spun around on her heels, hands on her hips. "Look, you're coming. Stop your griping and put on some decent attire. I'm pretty sure people are going to be there by the time we get there." Alyssa remarked and motioned Emmalyn towards the bathroom.

Approximately seemingly long twenty minutes passed. Emmalyn had showered and brushed her teeth. She was surprised to find her overnight bags stuffed to their limit. "Alyssa, I know I don't have that many clothes!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Oh, I added a few things here and there!" Alyssa replied loudly, who was in the midst of circling her eyes with black liner. Emmalyn shook her head exasperatedly, shutting the door behind her to get dressed. She slid into her dark blue jeans, a white tank top and black and white converse. "You almost ready? We've got to be at the show in an hour!" Alyssa cried from her room. Emmalyn could hear her searching for her car keys and with this, Emmalyn dove and snatched her black bomber jacket from her closet, throwing it on her body.

With bags in hand, Alyssa rushed Emmalyn out of the dorm. "We're taking my car, more room." Alyssa said hastily as the two women strolled across the deserted parking lot. Alyssa drove a custom-made crimson and gold Swindle. "Where are we going?"Emmalyn solicited nervously. She had yet to know the entire details of the holiday weekend's plans. "My place. I haven't been there in awhile though." She replied. "And why not?" Emmalyn asked nervously. "Matt lives exactly down the street from my brother and I." she answered, giving her roommate an impish wink. Alyssa began to back out of the parking lot and took off without warning. She was recklessly weaving through cars and almost slamming into a pedestrian.

"ALYSSA!" Emmalyn yelled, "I want to arrive alive!" The woman in the driver's seat merely laughed, speeding down the loopy highways that led to the undisclosed back road in the Airport District. "Wait a minute, there are houses back here?" Emmalyn exclaimed. "My family doesn't like living out in the open. Secrecy is preferred." She stated, turning a corner down an empty, serene and lightly trodden street. High and lush emerald trees soared over them; she could see a few houses that nearly scraped the sky blending in behind the trees.

Her mouth slightly hung open as she perused the environment. "It's pretty swank, huh?" Alyssa teased, pulling into a long winding driveway at the end of the road. As they continued, they could see the Atlasbreaker and a Compensator parked side-by-side in the driveway. Near the wheel of the Atlasbreaker, sat a small Asian man, by the name of Donnie Wong, he was a renowned mechanic in Stilwater. The Swindle came to a stop and the two hopped out, grabbing their bags from the backseat. "Gimme your bags, stay right here." Alyssa ordered, seizing Emmalyn's bags and dashing inside of the house.

Emmalyn could never have imagined that Alyssa was a person of atypical privilege. The house stood high over the lawn, its off-white color was sparkling and unsoiled. It was well taken care of. It did, however, bring question of Alyssa's background. Who were her parents? Who was this mysterious brother of hers and what did they do for a living that would enable them to live in such concession? An innumerable amount of these questions bounced back and forth within her mind as she scanned the neighborhood. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Donnie wiping his hands on a filthy rag. He was standing up by this time and walking over to her. As he drew near, she could see the uninteresting red dyed tip of his chocolate brown locks. His black work shoes were visibly smudged with oil and grease. The smell of exhaust was permeating through his red and black lined jumpsuit – it made her a tad ill.

"I've never seen you 'round here before. You must one of Alyssa's friends?" he quizzed, hungrily staring at her. "Yeah, I am." She responded shortly, hoping Donnie would go away. Emmalyn was leaned against the Swindle when Alyssa emerged from the house, another man striding ahead of her. Alyssa was struggling to keep pace with his steps. She was obviously rambling a mile a minute to the man. "You'll be ready for the competition tomorrow." Donnie told the man, nodding and finally leaving. This brought Emmalyn grand relief, Donnie irked her for some unimaginable explanation. The duo walked closer to the vehicle and a flood of warm sensations swam quickly throughout her body as she glanced back from Alyssa's face to the man's.

Alyssa caught wind of this, smiling smugly. "I thought you would've realized by now. For someone so smart, you sure do catch on to things a little late." She teased, punching Emmalyn in the arm gently. She was slightly offended and retorted, "It isn't like you mention much about it." Alyssa huffed, blowing off her buddy's comeback. "Bro, this is my roommate. Emmalyn, this is Maero. My _younger_ twin brother." She put great emphasis on the last sentence. Maero smirked, his brawny arms crossed tightly. To the average human, Maero's absolute presence had the capacity to terrorize anyone he met. He stood at a staggering 6'7" and housed an incredible amount of muscle – each seeming to be carved and chiseled perfectly.

His scarlet red hair was styled into a shoulder length mullet, something typical of many of the men who were associated with Maero. His skin held a pattern on elaborate black and red tribal tattoos, some of which extended to his left cheek. His various facial piercings glistened in the sunlight that managed to break through the trees. Emmalyn felt her knees weaken at his being there. Being the shy creature that she was, she meagerly waved and smiled. She knew full well Maero's occupation – leader of the violent gang the Brotherhood. Out of the remaining three gangs in Stilwater, the Brotherhood was the strongest. Often using brute force to take what they wanted.

Emmalyn knew her parents would not agree to her even being friends with Alyssa if they knew this piece of information. "It's nice to know that Alyssa wasn't making you up." Maero joked, eyeing his sister who wanted to protest. Emmalyn chuckled, trying to stifle her laughter. "Whatever, we have to get going. She's staying with me, so don't get any ideas. Not that she'd be attracted to an asshole such as yourself." Alyssa warned walking around to the driver's side of the Swindle. Maero released a gruff mumble and shook his head. "I'll see you two tomorrow then." He saluted and with that, Alyssa backed out of the driveway.


	4. Ch 4

Spending the weekend with Alyssa left Emmalyn exhausted. It was only Saturday and they had to attend the demolition derby. Emmalyn was crawled into a ball when her phone's alarm rang. "Ugh, seriously?" she whimpered, rolling over to shut it off. She peered at her phone for a moment; she had apparently received a text message from her mother the night before. Ignoring the message, she placed the phone back on the bedside table and tucked herself underneath the plush comforter. She was attempting to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to after ten minutes of trying – she was wide awake.

Sitting upright, she could see her tousled hair in the mirror and a late evening sun dancing happily through the window. Emmalyn straightened her hair, tying it up with a band that was on her wrist and got out of bed. "I might as well shower." She sighed, examining her smeared make up. She sifted through her bag, finding appropriate items and headed towards the spare room's bathroom. Shutting the door quietly behind her, she put her clothing on the counter, strolled to the opposite side to the shower. Steam slowly crept through the room when she turned the knobs.

Gradually, she immersed her aching body in the hot water, exhaling in the relief it gave her. Emmalyn pressed her back against the wall in the shower, letting the water soak her body entirely. There she stood, for what seemed an eternity before leaving the shower to get dressed. She could hear soft bustling in the upstairs room by this time, the room in which Matt and Alyssa occupied. Hurriedly, she dressed herself and made her way back to the bedroom, making up the bed and laying across it. As she was staring blankly at the ceiling, recapping the events of the night before and soon there was a firm knock on her door. "I hope to God you're awake." Alyssa threatened childishly, letting herself into the room and shutting the door behind her. Alyssa skipped towards Emmalyn, jumping on the bed.

"Geez, I'm barely awake, yet I can't sleep. My body aches. I hate you." She sighed loudly. "Such a damn lightweight and you didn't even drink or smoke, "Alyssa mocked, "Anyway, come on and grab a bite to eat. We're going to the Ultor Dome." "Do you always stay on the move?" Emmalyn whined. "You'll get used to it." She snapped, ignoring her friend's appeals. Alyssa scooted off of the bed, heading towards the door before Emmalyn stopped her, "How come you never told me about Maero?" she questioned, now sitting on the edge. Alyssa rotated back to her, giving her a long winded sigh. "I didn't bother to tell you, because it was never a priority. I'm surprised you've stuck around after yesterday evening. I don't bond with other females too often." She responded, sparing her a weak grin.

"I…wouldn't have cared much. It doesn't really shock me." Emmalyn spoke skimpily. She had absolutely no idea if Maero or Alyssa even knew about her own secret. However, it wasn't a thing she would proudly admit to them either. Alyssa stood still for a moment, pondering on whether or not she would tell Emmalyn. Deciding against this, she smiled once more, motioned for her to follow her and the two left the room.

The remainder of the evening was spent goofing off in the underground corridors of the Ultor Dome – the main arena of Stilwater. Emmalyn had been here many times before, but not to attend a demolition derby. She and a few other Brotherhood members were scattered amongst various makeshift chairs and couches, passing the time. Flicking one another with scraps of paper and other items, a tiny sharp ball of paper hit Emmalyn in the eye, "Whoa! Do I need to come over there and fuck you up?" she reacted jokingly, shoving a couch pillow back at Manuel. "Aye, watch it!" he shrieked, ducking his head.

Matt and Alyssa were outside of the room, deep in heated conversation. "_What do you expect me to do_?" Alyssa jeered silently, her face flushing to crimson. Matt had his face buried in his hands; it was the first time since his childhood he was on the verge of tears. "_I don't know, but I'm not ready for this okay! Just leave me alone_." he hissed back, spinning on his heels to leave a dumbfounded Alyssa. "_Are you kidding me_? _You're just going to walk away as if it's nothing at all_?" she hollered after him. Matt was near the metal double doors before he stopped and turned to her, "_I can't handle this. Like I told you, I'm nowhere near ready for this amount of responsibility. Find another guy to do this with_." He snapped. Alyssa was much too stunned to reply to his harsh words. Hot tears strolled down her cheek. Gazing at the spot where he once existed, she spun around sharply and bumped into her brother.

"Watch it!" he yelled, not realizing the emotional despair occurring below. "Fuck off!" Alyssa responded angrily, pushing past him and exiting the building. Maero was baffled by her short outburst, but shrugged it off, joining the Brotherhood in the backstage room. "Having a war I see?" he commenting finding Emmalyn and another Brotherhood, Christina Romano, huddled behind the couch, holding close to their improvised ammunition – couch pillows and cushions. "What else would it look like?" Emmalyn rejoinder and tossed the pillow back at Miguel and knocking him in the head. Maero huffed and nodded his head for Emmalyn to come to the walkway with him. "What's up?" Emmalyn asked, scooting out of the way of Miguel's last attempt to retaliate. Maero sat lazily on a sturdy wooden table, Emmalyn standing next to him.

"You know what's wrong with Alyssa?" he requested, his arms crossed per usual. She shook her head in disagreement, "No, I have no idea." He mumbled gruffly, pushing the issue from reality momentarily. "Don't worry about that. I have a small job for you." He announced passively, whereas Emmalyn's eyes grew enormously. "What type of job?" she responded and tried to keep a composed self-possession. Maero shifted a bit before replying, "Nothing _too_ major. Look, I need you to come with me. You're far more into diplomacy than I am, of course," he paused, "the Ronin have been setting off miniscule push backs and I need it to stop or I'll be forced to wipe that damn color from the map."

"So why don't you just tell Shogo that?" Emmalyn pondered aloud, her face contorting to a puzzled expression. "It doesn't take a genius to know that it won't take much for me to choke him. Most gang bosses would rather have personal one-on-one talks. I'm not seeking a gang war right now. You can do it, I know you can. Deal." He spoke and glanced at Emmalyn. "I didn't even say 'yes' or 'no'." she protested. Maero's heavy hand was on her shoulder, his brown eyes glued to hers. "You can. End of story. Now I have to go. Come home with Alyssa on Thanksgiving Break." He commanded, walking away without giving her the chance to object the issue any further.


	5. Ch 5

The final two days of the holiday were spent taking shots at deciphering Alyssa's mood swings.

"What the hell is wrong with her? Did you say something to piss her off?" Maero asked frantically and stared at his sister from the doorway. "ME? I didn't say a word to her. She wouldn't speak to me at all after the derby. She's been a mess like this ever since. I've tried speaking to her, but she's like a rock, she ain't crackin' for anyone!" Emmalyn came back, nudging Maero. "Well, whatever the problem is, it involves Matt and I pity you." He told her. Emmalyn groaned audibly, "I love Alyssa, but I won't be able to have a wink of sleep if this keeps up."

"That's your problem. Not mine and I wish you luck with that." Maero stated, gently pushing Emmalyn towards the Swindle. "It's your sister!" she mouthed back at him. She was truly dreading the ride back to Stilwater University. When Alyssa was in a cheerful mood, her driving was far from harmless, Emmalyn was not going to discover what it would be in other emotional conditions. "Hey, 'Lyssa, how about I drive. You look tired." She suggested, praying that her friend would agree. Without a word she handed over the keys and clambered to the passenger's side. Emmalyn sighed quietly, relieved that her life had a greater chance of being spared.

The car ride was filled with silence. Alyssa was quietly sobbing; her eyes were blood shot red. "Sweetie, it's going to get better. I promise." She weakly assured as they retreated from the Swindle. She had no idea what put Alyssa in this mood. Alyssa sniffled loudly and Emmalyn did not know if this was a response or if she was ignoring her cliché words of comfort.

The very second the girls entered their dorm; Alyssa whizzed past Emmalyn and dashed to the bathroom literally in a state of panic. "Alyssa, you need to tell me what's wrong with you." Emmalyn shouted at the bathroom door. She was above aggravated. A minute passed before she heard the toilet flush and Alyssa emerge, she appeared somewhat better. "Alyssa, what the hell is wrong with you? Can it be that bad?" she griped, sauntering after her friend into her bedroom. Her words fell on deaf ears. Alyssa began to unpack as if Emmalyn wasn't in the room. "Fine! Whatever. Talk to me when you feel the need." She threw her hands up in frustration and began to leave Alyssa's room.

"Wait!" Alyssa squealed and Emmalyn paused right at the threshold. She was twirling with her thumbs frenetically, making Emmalyn anxious. "Matt... he left me Saturday night." She spoke weakly. Her voice was desperately hoarse. Emmalyn's stiff stature waned and she ran over to Alyssa, embracing her tightly. "I'm confused. I thought you two were getting on really well. Why would he do a thing like that?" she interrogated and brushed hair from her friend's face. Alyssa struggled to find the correct words. "He walked out on me, because…," her voice faded." Emmalyn tilted her head closer, "Because of what?" "I'm two and half months pregnant. He wasn't ready for fatherhood. We had a fight and he walked out."

Emmalyn froze on the bed. The first thought to her mind was Maero's reaction. "Have you talked to him since?" she questioned. Alyssa nodded, "I don't even want to see his face." "You know Maero's going to have a conniption!" she reminded. "I know! I know! But he won't do anything 'till I say so and besides, I'm keeping hope that he'll come 'round." Alyssa sighed and cried even harder. Emmalyn hugged her, "I hope Matt comes to his senses."

The hum of a tattoo gun bounced from the warehouse walls. The two men sat on their respective chairs, all was quiet. The piercing of the needle somehow calmed Maero, usually making him erotically drowsy. However, this particular night he was more than alert. "Whatever you're running from, I suggest you stop." His low voice booming. Matt stopped briefly and glimpsed up, "Huh? What are you talkin' about?" he reacted. He was obviously caught off guard. "I'm talking about the issue that you're running from. I know you Matt. You can't run for long and whatever the situation is, you won't be able to hide for long." He warned.

Maero frankly did not know what was occurring in his midst, but he did know when Matt was skirting around an issue. "Yeah, you're right." He concurred, continuing etching the ink into Maero's skin.

The passing week felt as an eternity and astonishingly, there was an awkward stress between Alyssa and her. "You have to tell Maero. That's _if_ he doesn't already know." She pleaded that Friday afternoon. "Not yet Emma, he's busy recruiting and tightening up the patrol. The Ronin are still starting little squabbles."Alyssa lazily responded, lying on her bed. Emmalyn scanned her friend, her lower abdomen beginning to protrude ever so slightly. She knew it wasn't long before her tiny frame wasn't able to conceal its latest project.

"I'll tell him. Now stop your worrying, please." Alyssa begged, her fingers tracing her abdomen. She slumped in the chair as she was truly unable not to worry, however persuading Alyssa to tell Maero was tiring at best. The duo sat silently in their positions, it was the first time that Alyssa had ever stayed over the weekend.

Emmalyn's ears perked at the sound of heavy footsteps entering the front room. There was only one other person that had such access of ease into their dwelling. "I'm going to leave you two now." Emmalyn announced, curtly exiting and passing by Matt, whose appearance was browbeaten. She nodded in acknowledgement, quickly shuffling to her room and shutting the door. She could hear muffled voices snapping back at one another in the other room.

"_I'm sorry! I know that doesn't make the situation better, but it's a start. I know I fucked up. Just talk to me."_ Matt pleaded. Alyssa was silent. "_You wanted me to leave you alone, and I did."_ Was her reply. Matt was huffing heavily, becoming frustrated with Alyssa's stubborn stance. "_I don't. If I truly did, don't you think I wouldn't have come here? Please, 'Lyssa you know that I love you and to be honest I'm afraid of fatherhood, but I can't just ignore it._" The entire room became deafening. The silence was immediately broken with the sounds of two pairs of shuffling boots. The sounds trailed into the living room, followed by the door opening and shutting. Emmalyn was completely alone. 


	6. Ch 6

As time wore on, Emmalyn's days were beginning to alter radically. It had been nearly a month since her last visit home. "Mom, I promise, I'll be there." She hastily assured, rushing to get off the phone all the while she was weaving through heavy traffic. "It's just that we haven't seen you and I feel that something is going on." Her mother whined. "No, nothing is going on." Emmalyn boldly lied through her teeth. She had yet to allow her parents in on her part-time job. Emmalyn was drawn to the lifestyle, despite merely helping with odd technical aspects, money flooded into her bank account. The freedom and fast pace soothed her soul. This could very well be the key to her proverbial cage.

Just as she ended the conversation, her Phoenix came to a stop in the driveway of Maero's house. Alyssa and Matt were already inside. Emmalyn trundled from her car, dragging her bag behind her with keys in hand. The door flew open before she was able to arrive. "Thank God!" Alyssa screamed, her voice echoing. Emmalyn squeezed her friend, "I'm assuming its pure hell." she mumbled and Alyssa nodded her head wildly. By this time, Alyssa was three months pregnant and already was she unable to fit any of her clothing. "Please don't suffocate the kid Alyssa." Emmalyn mocked as she passed Matt, who was now laughing in terrible fits. "You too! Jesus, let's just pick on ol' Alyssa!" she roared, her hormones were soaring. Emmalyn had placed her bag near the door of the spare bedroom, "It's not like that now woman, but you just make it dead easy is all." She smirked and walked back to the living room.

Alyssa threw up a vulgar hand gesture. "Awww, come on now! Don't take it so harshly!" Emmalyn pleaded falsely, pouting. "Have a little fun. Isn't that what you were _always _telling me?" Alyssa sat on the couch, her feet crossed over one another. "There's a clear difference. You shouldn't have fun at the expense of my misery." She pouted and looked as if she was actually going to cry. Matt rushed over to her, "Babe, we're just messin' around, please don't cry." He comforted, kissing her on the forehead. Alyssa calmed a bit, easing into the couch. Emmalyn was struggling to discontinue her laughter. She did, however, feel a tad empathetic for her best friend.

"Emma, get your little ass over here." The low voice grumbled from the back door. "What do you want?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow. Maero stood in the doorway, "Come here." She rolled her eyes, with her hands in pocket and ambled to his location. "Maero, it's freezing so this had best be important." She complained, her chin trembling at the first of crisp evening air. Maero grabbed a silver piece of metal from its compartment, handing it to her. "Here, things may get nasty. You'll need it." He stated. Despite the Vice 9's lightweight appearance, it certainly was not. "I hope you know I've never held a gun nor shot one in my life." She said anxiously. "Well, aim and pray to God you hit your target." Maero noted, moving past her to go back inside. He had his arm on her shoulder, moving her inside.

The warm, weakening sensation came over her once more. This would constantly happen whenever she was within incredibly close proximity of the man. He led her to an untouched den; they both sat on the large, snug black sofa. Emmalyn chucked off her shoes, lying across the couch, merely a few inches from Maero, who had his arms spread across the back. "Come here." He gruffly commanded, motioned her to come closer. She bit her bottom lip, concealing the fire growing within. "Tomorrow, I set up a meeting with Shogo over at the docks. I don't think it'll get nasty, assuming that Dean Roscoe, leader of the 3rd Street Saints, already has Shogo's gang on lock. You don't want to walk in vulnerable though."

She bobbed her head and allowed the words to sink in. "I have one question in all of this." She blurted, catching Maero off guard. "Why did you ask me off all people to do this? You have lieutenants for that, right?" He rubbed his chin; Emmalyn could smell his natural scent. "It may sound bizarre; you're worth more than you know. You alone have the ability to nip gang quarrels in the bud or be the means for an all out battle to the death." He replied. "Satisfied with that answer?" Emmalyn glowered at Maero and opened her mouth. "You'll see soon enough. I have a good feeling about you though." He interjected.

"That makes me feel _so_ much better." She teased, glaring at him. Maero moved in closer and their faces were inches apart. "You're welcome." He said, kissing her on the forehead. Emmalyn was immobile, watching him get off the couch and leave the den. "Be ready in the morning, lieutenant." He saluted, winking at her. She stared at the threshold, "_What the fuck just happened? Is that fucker toying with me?_"She pondered and jumped from the couch. She emerged into the living room. Alyssa was now in a chipper mood. Matt was bewildered by his girlfriend's change of attitude.

The crisp chilly afternoon air had yet to match the atmosphere in Maero's Atlasbreaker. It was tense, anxiety palpitating. The only noise was Opeth playing on the radio. Once the truck came to a complete stop, Maero and Emmalyn hopped out, they could see Shogo and Jyunichi near the edge of the dock. The stench of sea salt wacked her nostrils, it had been ages since her last journey to the docks. The last being when her father took both her and Eliza for a fishing trip.

The Vice 9 was concealed in her back holster, her hands brushed over it. Shogo and Jyunichi nodded in acknowledgement of Emmalyn and Maero. Both Jyunichi and Shogo were of Japanese descent. Shogo made it obviously that his hair was first priority. Jyunichi was bald, his head slick clean and slightly shorter than Maero, his own tattooed muscles peeking from his black and yellow vest and a sword sitting on his back. Shogo was leaner and shorter than both men.

"It's been quite some time now." Shogo greeted awkwardly. Although he was the leader of the American branch of the Ronin, Shogo was clearly inept. "I see you've gotten a new lieutenant." He stated smugly, in reference to the brutal murder of Maero's last top lieutenant and girlfriend, Jessica Hartlow. "Let's make this short and simple," Emmalyn cut in, she despised Shogo, "stop initiating push backs and trying to take territory or the Brotherhood is going to wipe you from the map. End of story." All three men were amazed by her blunt words. "Someone's gotten her big girl panties, huh?" Shogo teased, Emmalyn shot him a filthy glance, shutting him up instantly.

"We'll be happy to oblige. Quite frankly, I don't know why we continue to have this issue." Jyunichi stated, attempting to quiet the oncoming slaughter between the two, but also shooting Shogo a jarring appearance. Maero and Jyunichi nodded at one another, he gently nudged for Shogo to start walking. Emmalyn glared vehemently at Shogo, it was taking much strength for her not to punch him. "Explain to me why he's the leader, when it's clear that Jyunichi is far more competent?" Emmalyn quizzed Maero as they were strolling back to his Atlasbreaker. "You ought to know," Maero answered, taking a brief silence, "He's Kazuo's son."

"You don't have to be an asshole, because you know that fact alone has never stopped Kazuo from dismissing his son's position before." Emmalyn quipped. As they inched nearer the gargantuan vehicle, Emmalyn's attention was captured by a yellow and white Wakazashi – the classic Ronin car. It wasn't as much as the car that caught her attention, by one of the compatriots sitting in the backseat. The woman was sporting a chocolate brown bob, her worn hazel eyes could be seen through the darkly tinted windows. Her small lips were pursed tightly, as if she'd just been given a dose of medicine. The two women locked eyes, gazing at one another intensely before Jyunichi and Shogo arrived at the car, speeding off.

"Yo, are you planning on walking back to the warehouse?" Maero boomed and distracting Emmalyn from her trance. She climbed into the Atlasbreaker, still looking intently in the car's direction. "You saw Eliza, didn't you?" Maero asked his eyes still on the road. "What?" Emmalyn responded, seemingly confused. He chuckled silently, "I'm not stupid. I know exactly who you are. Hell, everyone in Stilwater knows who are you, believe it if you want." He replied, glimpsing at her. Emmalyn's face contorted, she was oddly not shocked by this news.

"But, how did you know that's who I was looking at?" Emmalyn retaliated, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Instinct." He said shortly. "Do you…know what's she's been up?" she asked shyly, her heart beating quickly. "Causing all sorts of havoc." He answered.

Nearly three years from Eliza's turbulent departure and unintended pregnancy, things had yet to calm down. Soon after the birth of her first son, the older the child became, rumors spread wildly that the boy was in fact Jyunichi's. A year down the road, she became pregnant with another child, this time a daughter and once more, the hushed rumors of Jyunichi being the father sprang to life. All the while, Shogo cared for them as his own children. Soon, after the birth of the second child, Shogo caught wind and demanded a DNA test, which proved what all and sundry believed – both children were Jyunichi's.

In many cases, Eliza would have been dismissed from the Ronin, cut off completely. Unlike most cases, she was fortunate. The running gag within the Ronin was Shogo's obsessive goal to please and win his father's, Akuji Kazuo's, affection, something which was enormously dispensed upon Jyunichi, his crown lieutenant. Kazuo refusing to dismiss Eliza or the children she bore was the catalyst for the impending rift in the American branch of the Ronin. Emmalyn was the key in helping them tumble.


	7. Ch 7

Fall swiftly sped through Stilwater and now the icy winds of December were awaken. Long gone were the bonfires and outdoor weekend parties that the Brotherhood frequently enjoyed. Everyone was mostly sticking to the indoors. Alyssa was nearing the heart of her second trimester and regardless of Matt's original reaction to looming fatherhood, he seemed to be more enthused of his son's birth than Alyssa. They had now decided to live with one another in Matt's house.

The bickering between the Ronin and the Brotherhood died down considerably at this point. Nevertheless, Shogo had listened to neither Jyunichi nor his father's advice, this time focusing on the 3rd Street Saints – who effectively knocked them down the totem pole once again. At this point, the fracture within the Ronin grew wider, particularly now that Kazuo Akuji had become terminally ill. All eyes were on his will. There was a silent war between Jyunichi and Shogo – a war to take Kazuo's position.

In spite of the dramatic calamity prancing around the Ronin, Maero and Emmalyn had grown significantly closer over the month. She spent substantial time with Maero. Hardly anyone questioned this as she had been promoted to co-leader. Anyone who had known Emmalyn before college, they would not have recognized her unless they were inside of the gang life. A few days following the meeting with Jyunichi and Shogo, she had her first canonizing in which she literally trounced her challenger, much to the surprise of many Brotherhood members. They often teased her of her sheer height.

A Brotherhood insignia was branded to her skin, her own black and crimson tribal tattoo. Her eyebrows pierced. The flames between her and Maero were becoming increasingly challenging to overlook and the only person who realized their incessant flirting was Alyssa, everyone else was unmindful.

"I'm telling you, you're a gotdamn cheater!" Emmalyn roared, feeling the urge to throw the Xbox 360 controller to the ground. "That's it, I'm done." She forfeited, crossing her arms and glaring at the Gears of War title screen. "Whatever you say, just admit the fact that I own your ass." He gloated, switching off the console. Emmalyn rolled her eyes and stood to rise from the couch, but Maero had other plans as he captured her waist, gingerly pulling her in his direction. "Stop sulking like a two year old." He grumbled their faces now inches apart. "I'm not pouting. I'm protesting the fact that you sir, are a cheater." She responded. Her voice was dissipating at the body heat that was emanating.

Flashing his stunning smile, she attempted to squirm from his powerful grip. "Stop fighting." He commanded pressing his lips intensely against hers. She closed her eyes, taking in every sense he provided. His touch drove her mad as the adrenaline raced throughout her body. He snaked his hands under her tank top, unlocking her bra and freeing the contents. Emmalyn instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the ever growing bulge. Emmalyn ran her fingers over his rippling muscles which were foolishly unrealistic at that moment. His thick scarlet hair tickled her chin and they continued to explore the other.

Somehow in this fit of passion, they arrived on the carpeted floor, undressed, Maero still holding reign over Emmalyn. Pinning her wrists above her head, she felt powerless. Maero had his lips caressing her as his fingers danced merrily in between her thighs. She could hardly say one word when the sensation of his fingers entered her. All she could do was moan as he hit the spot, making her wetter. He suddenly released her wrists, his tongue now calmly tasting her. Both hands were running through his hair, her hips were bucking. She yearned to yell out in ecstasy.

This man knew exactly where to touch, caress and tease. He stopped, grabbing her hips and positioning her directly on top of him. She understood the drill, easing his delicious member inside of her. Emmalyn's mother taught her to never give into lust, but how could she not when it was pleasurable? Eyes locked, each stroke brought them closer to grand orgasms. Both were panting heavily, their bodies releasing upon the other, neither of which could help but vocally express their emotions.

Emmalyn slid off of Maero, lying next to him, his lips attacking her fervently. "You know I have to go see my parents tonight." She giggled as Maero nibbled her ear. "I know, but I'm making you late on purpose. I already know what's going to happen." he replied, his hands still on her waist. She wiggled from his grasp and stumbled towards the shower. Maero was right behind her.

* * *

There she sat, nightfall had gobbled the neighborhood. Emmalyn was nervously sitting in her car. Slightly shaking, for a moment she couldn't bring herself to get out of the car. Staring at her parent's home, it was near the end of Christmas break and she still hadn't dropped her own bombshell. Emmalyn inhaled acutely and exhaled, opening the door, and getting out. Step by step, her heart fluttered as she arrived at the front door, ringing the bell. From the other side, she could hear her mother's tiny footsteps against the wooden floor. Slowly did she open the door, granting her youngest daughter access.

"It's so nice to see you, Emma!" Geraldine greeted happily, Emmalyn noticed how tired and worn her mother's face had become. "I've missed you as well. Is everything alright?" she questioned and embraced her mother. "Everything is just dandy sweetheart." She sighed, scooting in to front room. "Come, you're father and I want to speak with you." Emmalyn gulped silently and carefully walked behind her mother, turning the corner into the living room. Her father was already sitting on the couch, her mother plopped down beside him and her hands clasped in her lap. "I haven't seen you such a long time." Gerard uttered, pointing for her to sit on the opposite recliner.

"Yeah, I've been really busy lately." Emmalyn said, only telling half of the truth. Gerard peered intensely at his child, scrambling to find the words. "I see. Emmalyn, what happened?" he asked, catching her off guard. "Huh? What do you mean?" she answered, rubbing her sweaty hands on her jeans. "Let me see," he trailed off, "What I'm meaning to say is how come we received a letter in the mail from Stilwater University explaining that you had dropped the spring semester?" he berated, she could see a vein beginning to pulsate. Emmalyn kept silent. "Your mother and I didn't believe what we were reading. We thought it was a mistake. So, we drove to the admissions office ourselves only to be told that you actually had dropped out." He told her, his face swirling red.

"Explain to me, what in the world could you be doing with your life that's more important right now?" he yelled, nearly flying off the couch. Emmalyn began to tug at her jacket zipper and biting her lip. She still couldn't find the strength to come head to head with her father. "Do you think you want to know the truth?" she stammered and locking eyes with Gerard. "Hell yes I do!" he responded. "You don't. Trust me." She stated solidly. "Honey, just tell us. We'll try our best to understand." Her mother pleaded, holding onto Gerard's arm, trying to keep him calm.

Emmalyn laughed. "I highly doubt that. Let me show you the answer." She replied, standing up and taking off her jacket. She rolled the sleeves of her black long-sleeve shirt, exposing the reality. The silence tore through the household. Geraldine began to cry silently, Gerard sat with his mouth slightly parted. "You see this?" she asked, "This is why." Gerard rose quickly from the couch, pointing at his child. "We gave you everything. We did what was best for you!" he snapped, mouth foaming. "Oh, really? Did you ever stop and ponder that this might be fate's way of repaying you for all the times you stuck your cock in someone OTHER than mom?" she revealed and by this time Geraldine was balling hysterically.

"You have no right to speak of that! You're still the child in this family, I don't give a damn what gang you join or how old you are!" Gerard shouted and made his way over to Emmalyn. He grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. "Get your damn hands off of me!" she protested, shoving him away from her. Emmalyn paced to the front door passageway, her parents behind her. "So what did Maero do? Fuck you so good you just became insane?" Gerard antagonized. "Get your shit straight, I was bangin' with the Brotherhood _long_ that happened." She snapped. Gerard's fists were clinched. "So you admit it, you're fuckin' the boss of a gang. Christ Emmalyn, I thought you were more intelligent than your sister." he yelled to the ceiling.

"Fuck you! Unlike Eliza, I didn't fuck my way to the top." She reacted and with this, her father landed a heavy hand to her cheek. "I didn't raise you for this shit. You or Eliza!" Emmalyn held her cheek, glowering at her father. "Go fuck yourself." Were the last words she ever spoke to the man.


	8. Ch 8

Alyssa released a long and sharp whistle while examining the mark Gerard left on Emmalyn's cheek. "Shit, I'm surprised you even have teeth." She remarked. "It looked worse two weeks ago." She stated. "Are you sure Maero hasn't wiped him off the face of planet?" Alyssa teased, sitting back down on her couch. She was now six months pregnant. "No, I may hate the bastard, but I'm not going to have him killed." She answered. "I can understand. Do you think your mom will divorce him after you pretty much let the cat out of the bag?" she asked.

Emmalyn sucked her teeth, "No. She's much too dependent on the fool. Alyssa sighed. "I get the feeling that something really off the wall is going to happen." Emmalyn had a puzzled expression. "Why?" Alyssa shrugged, "I don't know, I just do."

Kazuo was now on his deathbed. The time left on his life was ticking at full speed. Jyunichi and Shogo were sitting outside of Kazuo's bedroom in their Ronin hideout and neither on speaking terms. A few moments passed before the doctor emerged from his bedroom. "Time: 8:47 PM." He solemnly announced. "The lawyer will be bringing the will in five minutes." The doctor ambled down the angular hallway. Both men strolled into Kazuo's room, his wrinkled and deceased body finally resembled some sort of peace.

Shogo lit one of many candles for his father, just as the suited Ultor lawyer, James Johnson made his appearance. "Ultor sends our condolences." Was his greeting. Shogo and Jyunichi glanced at one another and back to the man. "To be honest, Akuji's will was not long in length. In summary, he left each possession, both legally and well, not legally named, in the hands of Jyunichi." The man said. Shogo's face screwed a winded expression. He was left utterly speechless whereas Jyunichi was self-satisfied. "If you think that this changes anything, you're sorely mistaken." Shogo heckled silently.

"Even in death you can't respect your father's wishes." Jyunichi mocked, leaning over the bed. Shogo balled his fist, shaking it at his adversary. "You unappreciative son of a bitch, watch your back, don't think I'll take this sitting down." He threatened, running out of the room.

Jyunichi took out his cell phone and dialed Eliza. "Yes, just as we thought. He left me in charge." He stated, an excited squeal could be heard. "We have to get rid of that twerp. He got upset that he was left nothing and I think he'll try to take a few Ronin with him." Eliza was silent. "Oh, don't forget our original plan, Emmalyn doesn't have a chance in hell of getting very far now." He said mischievously, hanging up the phone.


	9. Ch 9

Alyssa was dancing merrily, shuffling her body in awkward moves. "You might want to enjoy your last night out in a million gazillion years." Emmalyn reminded, her feet hanging over the arm of the sports ground chair. The duo were relaxing in the front row of the Ultor Dome stadium seats, watching Maero and a few other contestants alter, modify and prep their beastly trucks. "Well of course I shall be enjoying this night my friend!" she countered, rubbing her occupied tummy. "You think you'd want kids anytime soon?" Alyssa wondered aloud, glancing at her friend.

"Ha! Not right now. To be honest, we haven't even thought about that." She responded, seeing Matt out of the corner of her eye. "Yo, Matt over here!" she called out, waving at him. Soon after he joined the two, others began to literally pour into the arena, chatting loudly. Emmalyn sat correctly, placing her feet on the gray concrete. There was a polyglass shield between the trio and the main arena where Maero and his opponent were already situated. The crew signaled thumbs up and a few Brotherhood hooted and hollered.

The contenders clambered into their respective trucks, starting their engines and revving them for the crowds and all the while, waiting for the moment to commence. The earsplitting buzz of the horn resonated throughout the Ultor Dome; the crowd's liveliness grew exponentially. Together the automobiles sped through the dirt arena and magically flying over a lengthy row of demolished clunkers. Emmalyn and the others rose from their seats, screaming so loud as if their cheers would magically push Maero past his rival. The pitch became silent, all eyes were on the Atlasbreaker soaring above ground and slamming to the ground below.

Joy waved over the crew while watching Maero climb to victory. Emmalyn jumped in joy, but was ripped from her celebration by the tap on her shoulder. "Emmy, get Matt, we've got to leave now." Alyssa winced, holding onto her belly. "Alyssa, what's the matter?" she responded and turning to see the ordeal. "Did your water just break?" she shrieked over the noisy throng. Alyssa could barely speak, only bobbing her head. Water was pervading through her jeans. Emmalyn wrapped her arms around Alyssa's back, and her shoulder around her neck. "Matt, Alyssa's in labor!" she yelled at the man, nudging his leg with her foot.

With eyes wide, he came to the other side of his girlfriend, who was oddly silent, only cringing in dull pain. Before leaving the arena, Emmalyn glanced back and catching Maero's eyes – who knew well had been transpiring. "_Please, hurry up_." Alyssa whispered, doubled over with hands on her knees. "Wait here, I've gotta get the truck." Matt shouted over his shoulder, already bolting at break neck speeds. "Its gonna be alright, just breathe." Emmalyn calmed, running her fingers through Alyssa's fine mane. Nearly two minutes later, Matt's Legion came scurrying around the bend.

Emmalyn shuffled to help Alyssa in the passenger's side, her face showed her current misery. "Come with me." She whined, giving her a saddened gaze. Emmalyn climbed into the backseat, holding her hand. The ride to the hospital was surprisingly short; the streets of Stilwater are normally empty in the night.

Emmalyn sat in the maternity ward waiting room, finding herself eerily creeped out by the wide-eyed, ecstatic children on the magazines. She shoved her knees close to her chest and fiddled with the laces on her boots. A couple of additional Brotherhood soon joined the waiting game. "How long is this going to take?" Miguel called out to the nurse at the station. "Possibly all night, shoot, maybe until tomorrow night." She answered. Her replies were muffled sighs and groans. Emmalyn retreated to the insides of her fuzzy jacket and was lulled into an uncomfortable nap.

She was awoken to the sounds of Matt scuttling down the hallway. "Matt, what the hell are you doing?" one of the members groaned, all had been asleep. "He's here damnit! Why else would I be this excited!" he shouted. A nurse shushed him. Emmalyn rose from her seat, her body aching due to lengthy contortion. "And what do I call him?" she yawned, stretching high to the ceiling. "Nathaniel James Granger." He answered, beaming greatly. "Good luck dude, I'm gonna get some air." She congratulated sleepily.

Emmalyn stood outside, the wintry air snapped her awake. "This is just what I needed." She sighed, leaning against the white brick wall that surrounded the hospital. From a distance, she could hear a bumping techno melody rolling down the street – which meant only one thing, a Ronin was approaching. Her suspicion was dead on, as a Wakazashi sped through the parking lot. Emmalyn grasped her gun from its holster, taking off its safety. The car came to a halt directly in front of her. The door slowly opened and the woman driver snaked from the vehicle. "Now that's no way to greet your big sister after all these years." The woman teased, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

"What the hell? Eliza, what do you want?" Emmalyn quizzed dumbfounded. She didn't answer right away, instead, taking the time to examine her sister. "Gee, they weren't lying were they?" she noted. "I didn't believe it until I saw you a few months ago. I still can't believe it." She remarked and Emmalyn had her gun locked and loaded. "I came for a proposition." She finally answered, "and lower the damn gun."

Emmalyn lowered it slightly, "What's this proposition?" she inquired defensively. Eliza began to pace back and forth, hands on her waist. "Join the Ronin." She bluntly told her. Emmalyn was knocked back. "No." was her response. Eliza seemed offended, "Why not? You know what'll happen if we remain on opposite sides." Emmalyn gave Eliza a side eye, "Are you serious? We were _always_ on opposite sides and no is my final answer. Fuck you and the Ronin. You're dead to me Eliza." She snapped.

She placed a hand on her chest, mocking offense. "Well, well, well someone's grown up. You'll regret this sister. The Ronin **is **going to take over Stilwater and when we do, you'll want in and by this time it'll be too late." She said, getting back into her car and speeding off.


	10. Ch 10

"You have to tell him!" Alyssa blurted madly. "I know. I know, but this isn't what I had in mind. What if he freaks out and all chaos and hell breaks loose?" Emmalyn responded, her head in her palms. "He won't. Trust me." She assured, adjusting Nathaniel's position on her lap. "Nathan, stop that!" Alyssa scolded, gently tugging her necklace away from the five-month old child. "Did you have it confirmed yet?" she questioned her friend and now bouncing the young child blond haired on her lap. Emmalyn nodded somberly.

"Oh stop looking unhappy." She reproached, placing a hand on Emmalyn's shoulder. She sat up straight and pulled an envelope from beside her. Alyssa received it cautiously, her mouth dropped once she pulled out its contents. "Oh, my. Good gracious, you would've gone through the entire thing and not have known!" she exclaimed, Emmalyn shushed her immediately. "I'll tell him, once he gets back from Donnie's?" Alyssa nodded her head, blowing kisses on her son's chubby cheeks. "If Maero doesn't come running like lightening to Matt's tonight, I know you didn't tell him." She giggled, preparing to leave.

Emmalyn walked her friend and nephew to the front door, hugging them good-bye. "I'm here if you need me!" Alyssa hollered from across the yard. She shut the door, sighing heavily. She sat on the couch, eyeing the envelope on her thighs. It wasn't long before Maero had come home because she could hear the Compensator grumbling down the road. "Fuck!" she yelped, scurrying to wipe the dried tears from her face. She dashed to the downstairs bathroom, effectively forgetting the packet on the living room sofa. She splashed water all over her face and pitching her cheeks and tried to appear happy.

The front entrance opened and slammed shut; she could hear Maero angrily stalk into the front room. This only made matters worse. She left the bathroom, easing her way down the hallway and poked her head around the wall. "Did Donnie piss you off again?" she solicited. Maero growled, his answer yes. He was sitting on the enormous recliner, feet planted firmly on the floor. Taking a deep breath, she entered the living room and eased on his lap, kissing him. "Babe, I told you he's not worth you getting that wound up over. Just let it go." She advised, running her fingers through his hair – it had a way of calming him.

"I know, but that weasel has a way of getting under my skin Emma, I swear I just want to wring his neck. He forgets what place he's in." He ranted. She kissed his forehead as he pulled her closer, kissing her lips. The two broke free; she was giggling and had seemingly forgotten her previous dilemma. That is, until he noticed the envelope lying delicately on the couch. "Babe, what is that?" he asked, pointing at the item. She froze, feeling numb momentarily. Emotion washed over her as she found the strength to go retrieve the life-altering piece of information. "Well, am I allowed to see it or not?" he questioned, perplexed by his woman's sudden stiffness.

"I didn't know how to tell you…" she murmured and could feel her heart beating like an untamed drum. He cackled at her, taking the envelope and flipping it open. His own face flushed when he pulled out the news. Emmalyn broke into tears. "Babe, why in the hell are you crying?" he blurted out, his own eyes filled with tears. "I don't know, I'm just….emotional." she answered, his arms around her. "It's alright woman." He joked, holding her close. "I don't know, I thought you'd be upset." Emmalyn wiped her eyes dry. Maero laughed. Kissing her one last time, he departed to go upstairs.

From beneath the bed, Maero reclaimed a small box. It took a bit of might to force the box to open. Inside, was a menagerie of photos, some of which were on the verge of withering. There, he placed the most recent memories with the rest, but one picture caught his awareness. He gently picked up the photo, perusing over it. In the photograph, stood three small children standing on the front porch of a rather aged home. Each child was ostensibly petrified. Behind the children stood a dumpy man dark haired man, his face was stuck in an irritated and psychotic state. His hands were on the shoulders of the two young boys, the small girl was standing off to the side, near the woman. He was clearly their father, Carlos Rodriguez. A rather tall, lean beautiful strawberry blonde haired woman stood next to him. She was the solitary person smiling.

Whenever he came across this photo, he could never seem to remember who the other young fellow beside him was. The twins, Alyssa and Maero, were only three at the time, the boy seemed to be around the age five or six.

Carlos was the iniquitous, sadistic, Los Carnales lieutenant. For as long as Maero could remember, his life was constantly embroiled in gang activity. His father was often out and about with other Los Carnales, fighting, killing, stealing, drug dealing, cheating and drinking. Whenever he did come home, life would be plunked upside down. Their mother, Bethany Bellevue, was the chief target of his drunken physical and verbal diatribes. She had a revolving door history with the Stilwater Hospital.

Exactly at the age of sixteen, the Los Carnales had been disbanded by the early 3rd Street Saints, his father gravely wounded in the closing assault. This was the final moment he ever saw Carlos. The night of the attack, Carlos once more, came stumbling home, lurching upon Bethany while she was cooking dinner. In the midst of a struggle; Bethany stabbed her husband in the chest. Per usual, she was wounded and as she hobbled to escape, Carlos took her down with him. Managing to trip and stab her as well. The very next morning, Alyssa and Maero were taken into foster care, separated for two years.

The twins were stigmatized within the community. Mainly due to their family's gang affiliation, cycle of domestic abuse and racial prejudice as Bethany was Caucasian and Carlos of Mexican descent. Feeling the sting of pariah-hood, on his eighteenth birthday Maero left the foster care system and seized Alyssa and a small number of other untouchable teenagers of various racial backgrounds in his district, thus the birth of the Brotherhood. They soon gobbled previous LC territory, terrorizing and making known of their presence.

To this very day, neither Maero nor Alyssa could figure the identity of the boy in the picture.


	11. Ch 11

Matt released a drawn out whistle as he scanned the shiny high priced Fer de Lance sitting proudly on its pedestal. "How anyone could fit in that is beyond me." Maero inspected, finding the compact sports car ineffectual. "Dean Roscoe loves those kinds of cars." A strange voice declared from the office seat. The man spun around in his chair, his black and grey suit finely pressed. He had blazing red locks, brushed into a slick long ponytail. He was leaning in chair, eyeing the two in a sociable manner. Maero nodded at the man, his phone vibrating in his pocket. "I gotta take this." He said, waving at Matt.

Matt returned to gazing at the vehicle, unaware that the man had risen from behind his desk. "It's not often I see a rock star in 'Foreign Power'." He commented, startling Matt a bit. "Yeah, I just wanted to check this car out. Most sports cars aren't my type, but I'm digging this one." He replied, finding himself in a discomfited situation. "I'm Alejandro Rodriguez by the way, manager and owner of Foreign Power." He introduced, extending his hand. Matt returned the gesture, finding Alejandro to be a near replica of Maero peculiarly. The fiery red hair, stunning coffee brown eyes, despite being a few inches shorter, his suit did little to hide his muscle mass.

"That was Maero, wasn't it?" he questioned bluntly. "Yeah, why do you ask? Matt inquired nervously, finding Alejandro's presence intensely dominant. Alejandro began to walk to the mahogany desk, motioning for Matt to follow. They sat on either side of one another. Alejandro sat in his chair, leg propped over the other, his hands clasped together. "You notice a resemblance?" he posed. Matt scrutinized Alejandro and he undeniably found striking similitude. Alejandro nodded his head, a grin arising. "You guessed it." He said. "This will sound bizarre unquestionably," he began and ran his fingers through his thick tresses, "Maero and Alyssa probably have no recollection of me, but I'm their older brother funnily enough."

Matt slumped into his chair; the news was hitting him hard. "How do you expect me to believe you?" he snapped defensively. Alejandro smiled, "In my possession, I have every last record, article and piece of paper stating who my biological parents are, their children or my siblings. Court records. Anything you want to know, I have it in legitimate proof." He told him, feeling victorious. Matt rubbed his chin and peered out of the glass window, spotting Maero rambling on his cell phone. "Let me talk to Maero and Alyssa, I can have them sort this out." He countered and Alejandro scribbled his phone number on a notepad. Matt examined the number and dialed it in his phone.

* * *

"So, is everything in order?" Matt quizzed, concentrating on the shading process of Maero's latest tattoo project. "Everything's been quiet since Kazuo died. Despite the fact that I think Shogo got pissy and broke off from the Ronin." He acknowledged, gazing at the ceiling. Matt snickered, "Figures, I don't see how he believes he can get rid of Jyunichi, especially since he's got that psychopath Eliza on his side." Maero shrugged, "I don't care what they do. As long as they don't start shit, there won't be shit." Matt shook his head in agreement.

A moment of silence danced between them before Matt opened his mouth, taking a pause from shading. "I know you don't like to talk about this, but do you remember having another sibling?" he solicited, anxious for Maero's feedback. He was soundless, obviously in thought. "I don't remember, but I do have this photo of my parents with me and Alyssa. There is another kid in the picture, but I can't make out who it is." He responded. "That man that owns every freakin' Foreign Power in Stilwater, Alejandro; he told me some wacky shit the other day." Matt divulged. Maero cocked his eyebrow. "Get 'Lyssa in here." He curtly said.

"I already heard you." She replied, walking past the crude tattoo parlor. "Were you eavesdropping?" Maero berated. Alyssa scowled at him. "No, I had to put Nathaniel to bed moron." She retorted irritably. "Calm your horses, babe." Matt snapped, tilting his head for her to sit. She strolled across the room, plopping in the metal chair. "What is it?" she passively asked. Matt put his gun away, rubbing his hands on his jeans. "Look, the other day, Maero and I went over to Foreign Power to check out this car I liked," he paused, Alyssa nodded her head for him to continue, "You know Alejandro Rodriguez -," he was interrupted. "That guy that owns every Foreign Power known to man?" she inquired. "I was getting to that." he reproved.

"Yes, that man. He came up to me and told me that _he's _your older brother." He revealed. The room grew silent. "You sure he's not trying to kill us?" Alyssa smartly remarked. "Honey, he's got more money than just about anyone in Stilwater, how would murdering you two benefit him?" he snapped back. Alyssa sucked her teeth and mouthed, "Asshole." Maero merely laughed at the two. "Just check this guy out." He pleaded, cleaning up the work area.

* * *

There he sat, only in his casual attire; his hands in the pockets of his costly jeans and leaned against his Attrazione. Alyssa and Maero were wary of this foreigner, something that rarely happened. "You Maero?" Alejandro wondered, his reflexive stance never changing. Alyssa and Maero stopped a few feet from the man. Alyssa was overwhelmed at physical familiarity. "It never dawned on me how much alike you two are and your commercials are always on TV." Alyssa observed, attempting to break the ice.

"We all know why we're here. How do I… I mean, WE, know that you're who you say are? I mean, you can say your papers are legit, but you know…" Alyssa stammered, eyeing both Maero and Alejandro. "Look, you can believe this or not. Do you remember that picture of all three of us standing on the porch? That was the last time I ever saw you two." Alejandro blurted, feeling under pressure. The twins glanced at one another, amazed at his knowledge. "I was put into foster care the next day, after Carlos, may Satan torture his soul, knocked the ever loving shit out of mom and turned around and knocked me upside the head."

"Carlos put his hands on you?" Alyssa shouted and her face fuming. "More than once did he hit me. I saw mama a few times before I was taken to another state, I lost contact. Man, I couldn't have been more than eight." he murmured. Maero and Alyssa walked closer to their elder brother, the warm of the atmosphere passing by the second. "Well, you're welcome anytime." Maero acknowledged, shaking hands with the man.


	12. Ch 12

The sports car sprinted through the pavement leading to the Brotherhood warehouse, the booming music signifying his presence. Its driver coming to a screeching halt, outwardly unaware of the dagger-like glares he was receiving. He bolted past his adversaries in an effort to reach his destination. "What the hell?" Matt stammered, lifting his head from his assignment. Emmalyn, who's belly began to project outward was amusing nearly one year old Nathaniel. Alyssa was lazily lying across the couch as the ruckus from the outdoors grew louder.

Maero irritably exhaled, walking from his chair to inspect the source of the commotion. The answer astounded him nonetheless. "Yo, what the hell are you doing here?" he roared and nearly every Brotherhood was on the defensive. Shogo, who had a burdened appearance about him, pleaded to Maero, "Look, there is something that you _have_ to know. I am not here for trouble." Maero gawked at his former gang rival and motioned for him to come into the gargantuan storehouse. There, Shogo stood, awkward, worn and distressed.

"What is it that you have to get yourself scalped in order to tell me?" Maero scolded, sinking into his tattoo chair. A tense minute wafted through. "Jyunichi is gunning for the Brotherhood….Emmalyn to be specific. This Saturday to be exact. Not to mention, they're coming to torch the place." Shogo blurted, a worried expression forming slowly. Emmalyn sat straight and Alyssa took her son from the vicinity. "What the hell are you talking about?" Emmalyn retorted, anger rising. "Listen to me; I know what Jyunichi is up to. I'm warning you well in advance. They want to take you out, this weekend. If you don't believe me, you can kill me." Shogo bargained. Maero, Emmalyn and Matt glanced at one another. "Tell me as to why you're warning us?" Maero pondered, peering at Shogo.

"I'm done with the gang shit. Jyunichi's taking this too far by going after Emmalyn, especially when she's pregnant. It's one thing to go after you, Maero. Eliza's behind this too Emmalyn, watch your back." Shogo presaged. From within the neighboring room, Donnie could eavesdrop onto the secrets Shogo was spilling to his former enemy. With eyebrows cocked intuitively, Donnie eased away from the shop, slipping into the sunset sky.

On this particular evening, Foreign Power was a mere ghost town because whenever the leader of a notorious street gang made an appearance, civilians who were wise – left the premises. Jyunichi, followed by a few faction of Ronin pored over the car dealership, inspecting the latest model of a shiny jet black Zenith. Alejandro, with hands in his pockets, sat on his desk. He watched the group.

Time passed and a crimson and gold Voxel drove wildly in the streets, nearly ramming into aimless pedestrians. Within minutes, the car's owner ambled out and waltzed rapidly inside of the building. Alejandro was still sitting at his desk, completely invisible to his customers.

"Jyunichi! Jyunichi!" the small man called, his equanimity that of a small child. Jyunichi slowly rotated towards Donnie, showing him little curiosity. His followers demonstrated similar approach. "Aren't you with the Brotherhood?" Jyunichi serenely asked, unfazed by his presence. Donnie nodded and with this, Alejandro's ear perked in the instant. "Just a few minutes earlier, I overheard Shogo telling Maero of your plans!" he squeaked. Jyunichi strode closer to Donnie, overshadowing him and leaning in. "_What…plans?"_ he hissed.

Alejandro took notice of Donnie's gulp. "The plans to murder Emmalyn and torch the warehouse." He sheepishly affirmed. Jyunichi's lips pursed tightly, the veins behind his head throbbing. With a swift finger gesture, he and the Ronin crew set out to hunt Shogo, leaving Donnie seemingly alone in the dealership. Alejandro felt the heat of his blood boil watching Donnie stand there, somewhat in self-victory. Donnie's celebration was cut short as he noticed a burly shadow come from behind and a hand roughly grab the collar of his jumpsuit. "So, we have ourselves a little weasel, huh?" Alejandro sadistically mentioned, dragging Donnie out of the edifice. The small man yelped, fear stabbing every sense.

Alejandro tossed Donnie against his Voxel, dropping a multitude of blows to his face. "What do you get out of it Donnie?" he snarled in his ear, knocking one last punch to this man's jaw. He snatched Donnie from the ground, slamming him against the Voxel, setting off the alarm. "Turn the alarm off." He commanded. Donnie did so without hesitation. "Who…who the hell are you?" Donnie whined. With dark eyes, Alejandro came head to head with Donnie, "The worst nightmare you'll ever fuckin' have." He flung the trunk open, stuffing Donnie's minute frame inside, smashing the trunk shut.  


* * *

The time of night wore on, Maero had several Brotherhood dispatched throughout Ronin territory. Everyone had best not attack the Brotherhood frontally, as everyone knew well that Maero had incredible muscle on his side. In the words of the 3rd Street Saints Leader, Dean Roscoe, if the Brotherhood discovered you were going to attack, be prepared to battle a impressive monster.

"Please, come back alive, babe." Emmalyn beseeched Maero, her arms snaked around his thick neck. Her soft lips delicately kissing his, Maero intensified the kiss as the scent of black raspberries and vanilla lotion pranced around him. Emmalyn parted his lips, savoring every moment. Maero broke away, eyeing her hungrily, "Don't play with fire, it's what got us here in the first place." He droned, making her shiver. "Stay put." He instructed, passing her a stern expression. "I've got business to take care of."

Maero strolled heatedly out of door, skipping each step downstairs before finally departing from the house. He was not silly as to leave Emmalyn all on her lonesome; guards of Brotherhood were stationed around the perimeter. Emmalyn watched on as his beast of vehicle moseyed out of sight.

Racing through the clandestine passageway in proximity of the docks, Maero's Compensator shoved through thick dirt and gravel. Swinging around the bend, the truck could barely roll on two wheels. Speeding like an asylum escapee, Maero finally arrived at his target.


	13. Ch 13

The sight playing before Maero Rodriguez astonished him to his core. Red liquid bathed Donnie's face, his eyes fluttering lightly. Alejandro continued to have his enormous hands clutching Donnie's gaunt neck, a furious countenance blazing wildly. "Donnie, what did you do?" Maero announced irately, treading heavily towards the pair. Raising his bloodied head meagerly, he cracked an effort to stammer. Alejandro released his neck, shoving him to the dusty grey concrete. The resonance of sleepy waves crashing against the wooden docks and seagulls calling out to the soundless district were all that could be heard.

Maero crept closer, his brown eyes locked onto Donnie. "Can I fill you in on a secret, little brother?" Alejandro began, "I am not a man of many peeves. I deem myself uncomplicated." He trailed off, bending over, his face dangerously near Donnie's. Donnie hoarsely whimpered, but made no endeavor to flee. "If there is any trait I loathe in a person, it's one who can't keep their mouth shut _or_ a sneaky snake." He divulged, yanking Donnie onto his feet.

This chance, Maero took his grab at the mechanic, flinging him to his proximity. "What did you do, Donnie, and I won't ask this again!" Maero boomed, his voice seeping in fury. Donnie gazed at his black work boots, unable to speak. His neck was covered in bruises. "So, I'm guessing by that response, you're the reason for this mess." Maero stated. His sudden tranquil carriage made the tone disgustingly overwrought. "You're a dead man, Wong." Maero proclaimed, shoving him in the grasp of Alejandro and with a sadistic grin, he jabbed the young man in the ribs, toppling him back to the ground.

Donnie curled into a ball, he could barely cry aloud at the blows of the burly man. Wishing the pain would dissipate, he was yanked upward by his left leg and jostled onto the brick wall of the warehouse. Every muscle, fiber, and bone screeched in white hot, throbbing pain. With one hand on Donnie's chest, Alejandro fished for the lengthy rope on the ground, and started to drag the mechanic across the pathway. Propelling Donnie to the metal light pole, Alejandro hastily, but neatly tied his limbs to the object. "Wait, what are you doing?" Donnie moaned. His anxiety settled in as he watched Alejandro begin to walk away. Alejandro halted and turned to the condemned prisoner, "I'm making you into an example." He exclaimed.

Twenty four hours had barely made its appearance before news of Akuji Shogo's death made Stilwater News. According the Jane Valderama, anchor woman of the prestigious Channel Six News, the corpse of the former leader was found floating on the water's edge. His body was depressingly the victim of gruesome mutilation and torture.

"You're telling me, they tormented the poor guy for hours, locked into the trunk of Kazuo's old car and shoved him into the bank?" Matt excitedly mumbled while fiddling with his guitar. Maero confirmed the hearsay with a nod. "Damn, Jyunichi doesn't mess around, does he?" Matt joked. The sense of normalcy was quickly waving through the Brotherhood, despite their own brutal act of torture scarcely clinging to his life on the pole. "Shogo put his neck on the line for you, bro." Matt reminded. Maero glimpsed from his stack of fresh green paper, "That doesn't mean this shit's over between us and The Ronin. If Gat and Roscoe don't tear those fuckers limb from limb first – I am." He grumbled and Matt strayed back to this instrument.

"Word is, the Ronin have got something cooked up. According to Roscoe, Eliza is still going to be gunning for Emmalyn." Maero stated. He knew if anything grievous happened to either Emmalyn or their child, he would barely be seated on the edge of sanity.


	14. Ch 14

The palm of a tiny hand eagerly jostled Maero's shoulder; he shot upward in the chair, suddenly aware of the damp nighttime Stilwater air. Somehow, he had stumbled into a catnap. The palm shook him once more, "What! What! I'm awake." He groaned. He was blatantly unaware of his companion. Emmalyn glared at the man, clutching the bottom of her abdomen. She bit the bottom lip, sucking her teeth as the contraction clinched. "Get the hell up NOW!" Emmalyn demanded, tugging at Maero's crimson shirt.

Still incoherent to his surroundings, he hobbled to his feet, mindlessly trailing behind Emmalyn to the living room and out towards his Compensator. Without much of a lucid thought, Maero started the truck, speeding down the serene back road. "Now, where am I supposed to be driving to?" he unthinkingly mumbled, a startled Emmalyn staring at him with bug-eyes. "The hospital…." She replied hesitantly, all pain an afterthought. Maero simply drove to the location instinctively; however, Emmalyn was grasping hold of the seatbelt. The rambunctious driving continued for several minutes.

"Baby, do you know what's going on right about now?" Emmalyn impatiently asked, waddling out of the Compensator and upward on the hospital steps to her location. "We're at the hospital." Maero responded sleepily, gazing around the environment. She snatched his hand, shaking him. "Hey! Earth to Maero! I'm in labor!" she shrieked in the quiet maternity ward waiting room. His head twitched minutely, those deep brown eyes grew miraculously wide. An anxious silence emerged. Emmalyn was gently yet hurriedly scuttled towards her room. Maero's wits snapped rapidly, "Wait a minute, are you serious?" he called after her, his intimidating composure diluted to a naive aura, taking broad strides behind Emmalyn, he treaded behind the nurses.

* * *

The sense of indefinable trepidation palpitated from within Maero's every pore. Her profoundly deep mocha skin was smooth, purely soft. Her light brown hair was untamed – it already bore a mind of its own. With novel eyes, every wall, pillow, person was studied carefully. Her new surroundings did not bother her. Only a few hours of age, Bethany Audrey Rodriguez had a distinctive persona. Maero peered over her carefully, terrified of dropping her. Emmalyn was within the depths of slumber. The room was serenely quiet as he watched his daughter gaze directly at him, as if she was challenging him.

A few feet away, a soft knock was heard, but before Maero could answer, his sister, Alyssa barged in silently. "I had to sneak away from Nathan, but Matt is eager to see the little thing!" Alyssa whispered loudly, stealing the small child from her father's grasp. "Well, isn't she just a precious little thing!" Alyssa complimented, smiling at the baby. Bethany merely stared her Aunt cautiously, studiously. Maero sighed and stretched, sitting back into the firm couch. "You've got yourself a handful." Alyssa stated, as the child cooed. Bewildered, he gazed at his sister, "Aren't most babies a handful?"

She stifled a giggle, catching a glimpse of her inexperienced brother. "Dude, I have a sneaking suspicion she's going to have your temper. You two have created an intriguing little human." She warned jokingly. Slightly taking offense, Maero glowered at her, "What's that supposed to mean? And what would _you_ know?" he retorted. "I have one year old, which is nothing more than the carbon copy of Matt. It's just something we women know long before birth occurs." She snapped back.

* * *

"Are you out of your mind?" Jyunichi roared across the dimly lit bedroom. With a finger to her mouth, Eliza attempted to shush the man. "Are you _trying_ to wake Minami and Tomoharu?" she hissed back. Jyunichi ignored her words, gliding towards the brow beaten woman. "Look, this plan of yours is getting out of hand. You're crossing into territory that you know shouldn't be crossed! I'm not for it." He boomed, gazing directly to her. Eliza stepped away from Jyunichi, her lips pursed. "You wanted to take them down and this how it can be done and we wouldn't have to worry about them – ever again." She replied.

He sighed heavily, grabbing her shoulders, "Don't you see what the fuck you're doing? If we even dare touch them, Maero will have his steel-toed boot so far up the Ronin's ass we'll never see daylight again." He warned. Eliza wiggled from his grip, "So, are you afraid?" she teased tortuously. "What? No! I just know a failure when I see one!" he snapped. The silence pervaded the room. "I'm going through with it." Eliza confirmed, ignoring all reason.

"If that's your choice, only you live with the consequences. I'm taking the children back to Nagoya. I'm not having them in the crossfire." He stated, leaving Eliza in the room.


	15. Ch 15

"Oh no you don't, come back here!" Emmalyn shrieked, yanking the toddler by the collar of her shirt. Bethany howled in glee as she was thrust onto her mother's hip. "You think this is funny, do you?" she asked the young girl, who was unaware of the danger she had nearly put herself into. She placed Bethany back onto the floor; and the child immediately began to prance around gleefully once the she caught sight of her older cousin, Nathaniel. The pair squeezed one another dearly, Nathaniel then handed Bethany one of his several toy cars.

Alejandro, Matt and Maero waltzed into the house, catching Emmalyn's notice. "Don't tell me you left Alyssa out there?" she stated in a mildly disconcerted tone. Maero ran his broad fingers through her hair, kissing her on the forehead, deliberately disregarding her previous words. "She's right behind us. She had something to take care of." Alejandro answered from across the living room, parked on the plush couch. Located on the far right of the room, was Matt, who was tuning his guitar. Emmalyn shrugged.

Alyssa finally made her appearance, her face was flushed. "I am telling you these clinics have been sent from hell!" she carped, her hands placed firmly on her hips. "What's the problem now?" Matt called to her, never glancing upward. "I can't get an appointment for Nathan until next month." She sighed, plopping down next to him. "Ah, don't fret over such things." Matt comforted, ruffling her mane. This was the first time in months that the remnants of Maero's family had been in one room – including the children. The months drifted by without a mere precursor of violence. The 3rd Street Saints gobbled any fragment of the Ronin – who were hanging by a thread of existence.

In these months, both gangs were lulled into a bogus wisdom of serenity, something that could prove to be a costly blunder. Emmalyn paced down the end of the hallway, tilting her head around the wall, checking on the children. No matter how many times she stole a glance at them, the pesky sentiment of dread by no means dissipated. Releasing a relieved breath, she arrived back to the main room, joining in on the rambunctious laughter. She rubbed the palms of her hands on her jeans, snuggling next to Maero. A brief moment of jubilee passed, Emmalyn found herself giggling at Alejandro's jokes.

The peaceful ambience of the backwoods neighborhood was disrupted by the sound of screeching tires against the gravel pavement. "What in the hell?" Maero mumbled, rising from the seat. Emmalyn leaned forward, the pesky dismay maturing heavily. "I-I'm gonna see if the kids are alright." Emmalyn announced, stuttering. She rose from her chair, taking a few steps towards the hallway. Alarm ringed sharply as the sound of a fraught toddler could be heard. "Bethany, honey!" Emmalyn cried frantically, her feet seemed to glide down the passageway. "Bethany!" she screamed as her eyes met upon a blurry figure and Bethany attempting to pull away. Emmalyn dashed after the mystery, her heart thumping loudly, adrenaline flushing out all sense of hearing.

She stumbled against the threshold, clearly unaware of Alyssa chasing behind her. "EMMALYN!" Alyssa yelled out to her. Matt snatched Nathaniel, dashing towards the Alaskan and whisking him away from the scene. Emmalyn nearly tripped on her shoes, unable to catch the shadow tugging her baby. She watched as the yellow Zenith sped in the distance. Just as the car drove away, her phone began to blare. Intuitively, she answered. "You want little Bethany alive and well, I had best see you at Kanto." The feminine voice commanded. Emmalyn huffed, biting her bottom lip. "Eliza, you lay one hand on her, you'll find yourself on the other side of the river." She snarled, hanging up the phone.

Ignoring Alyssa, Emmalyn ran around the corner of the house, finding Maero and Alejandro loading their guns. She climbed into the monstrous truck and Maero began to swerve off before he could even shut the driver's door. Alejandro was driving quickly behind them in his own vehicle, signaling for the other Brotherhood to follow. Emmalyn gripped the door handle. Her heart was racing, palms sweaty. "I'm going as fast as I can!" Maero responded to her buzzing thoughts. The couple paid no heed to traffic, weaving to the Saints Row District.


	16. Ch 16

The Atlasbreaker had no chance of coming to complete stop before Emmalyn staggered out. Weaving through the pockets of violent battles between the Ronin and Brotherhood, she arrived at the front door of a trendy Japanese restaurant and Ronin hangout, Kanto. "Eliza, where in the fuck are you?" Emmalyn roared. Slithering up the stairs, the sounds of shotguns were drowned out. Reaching the summit of the stairs, Emmalyn was introduced a door she had never seen before.

Taking in a heavy breath and outreaching her hand, she shoved the door open, discovering her older sister, Eliza and her daughter, Bethany sitting on wooden chairs in the empty attic. Bethany began to squirm out of her chair, instinctively rushing towards her mother. Hauling the young girl, Emmalyn held her child close. "Honey, I want you to shut your eyes and put your hands over your ears, okay?" she ordered, Bethany nodded and wiggled from her mother's grasp. She sat in the corner of the door's threshold, turning her back to the scene impending to unfurl.

"Is this what you call retaliation?" Emmalyn questioned, her voice wavering. In the midst of an eerie calm, Eliza simply gazed at her younger sister. "I got your attention, didn't I?" she responded carelessly with a hint of menace. Emmalyn began to slowly stalk towards the woman, her fist clinched. "You crossed the line. I never once touched your kids. Why in the hell did you come after Beth?" she pensively retorted. Eliza swung her leg over the other, her arm lying lazily on the back of the chair.

Glowering at her sister, "I'm ending this once and for all." Emmalyn stated, now towering over her sister. Eliza shot from her chair, standing face-to-face to Emmalyn. "I gave you the chance. You could've avoided this. My niece would have never been within the crossfire if it weren't for you!" she replied. Emmalyn stood flabbergasted. Her feet were frozen momentarily. "You are absolutely inane!" she shrieked, grabbing the ribbon of Eliza's shirt. Flinging her to the concrete floor, Emmalyn pinned Eliza, landing blow after blow.

Eliza wailed, attempting to shield herself. Suddenly, gripping her hand onto Emmalyn's wrist, she managed to halt the rain of punches. Her face bloodied, Eliza shoved her from on top, crawling towards the exit. "Oh hell no!" Emmalyn bellowed, grabbing her sister's foot and dragging her back to the center of the room. "You think you're just going to _crawl _your way out of this? You've got to be out of your ever-loving mind!" Emmalyn sadistically said, grasping a handful of hair and slamming Eliza's head onto the cold ground.

Eliza squealed in pain as Emmalyn snatched her to her feet, on hand gripping her shoulder firmly, the other with a handful of hair. Emmalyn pushed Eliza towards the attic window, overlooking the concrete dock porch that sat behind Kanto. Breaking the window open with her foot, Emmalyn eased Eliza out of the window, gently dangling the woman.

Peering downwards, Eliza quickly glanced up at her sister. "This is the last thing you'll ever see." Emmalyn proclaimed. "Is this how this ends? You murdering your very own sister?" Eliza teased. The woman merely nodded her head, releasing Eliza from her grasp. Eliza screamed sharply to her grave. Gazing at the bloody mess below, Emmalyn swiftly turned and left the attic, finding Maero with his arms wrapped around Bethany. "That is the last we'll ever see of the Ronin in Stilwater." Emmalyn announced, feeling diminutive remorse.


End file.
